So this is Christmas – when they have to guard the milk…

Anil Netto
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A supermarket security guard keeping an eye at the milk aisle – Photo by Ganesh At Christmas, we recall the birth of Jesus in the midst of poverty and oppression. As we party and feast and make merry, it’s worth asking: did he have enough nourishing food as a baby bearing in mind that his parents were humble peasants struggling to make ends meet? Were they able to provide him with a balanced diet during his formative years? Let’s spare a thought for workers, including factory operators earning RM600 to RM800 per month, who are finding it increasingly difficult to afford milk for their children. Recently, for instance, a woman complained to an activist that a portion of loose powdered milk  (it’s cheaper sold in bulk; not in tins) in a sundry shop along Penang Street frequented by those from the lower-income group  that used to cost RM7.50 before the petrol price hikes now costs RM10.50. It’s not surprising that a certain supermarket chain has resorted to putting security tags around baby milk tins/packs. The tags are then removed by the cashier upon when the customer checks out. Says blog reader pakshah:
If I was a desperate parent, I would be tempted to steal milk too. One pack of full cream milk powder ( 2 kg) costs RM 42. My youngest son consumes more than 4 kg (2 packs) per month. Add 4 tins cereal, it costs more than RM100 to feed him. My pension is only RM 1200.
Could an economic system that allows such a situation to persist be considered just? Meanwhile, R Ganesh reports from KL: The proposed privatisation of Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) appears to have not taken into much consideration the basic survival of the poor and the middle class. They would be hit if IJN becomes private. Already, many low-income folk are finding it difficult to cope with high food prices. Many are now finding that their low wages are insufficient for them to live in dignity given the high cost of living and inflation. The threshold for survival for a family of four is probably in the region of RM2,000 to 3,000. But how many of us actually earn that amount of money? With reference to your post on the Chicken Thief, what is rather shocking now is that when you go to certain supermarkets, you may now see a security guard in the milk aisle/dairy section. Previously, the guards would be keeping an eye on the liquor section.
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Who’s behind Sime Darby?

Anil Netto
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Of late Sime Darby has been very much in the news with its proposed – and then postponed – IJN takeover and now with a proposed new low-cost carrier airport in Negri Sembilan. While many have questioned the economic feasibility and viability of a new airport so close to the present Kuala Lumpur International Airport, nothing much has been said about the environmental impact of having two large airports so close to each other (not to mention global warming). So who exactly is behind Sime Darby? According to its 2008 Annual Report, its substantial shareholders are:
  • Skim Amanah Saham Bumiputera – 34%
  • EPF – 14%
  • PNB – 15%
  • Yayasan Pelaburan Bumiputera – 15% (deemed interest)
So basically we are talking about a government-linked corporation and groups managing public money here. Sime Darby’s Board of Directors (again, according to its 2008 Annual Report) is made up of:
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Who is the real man – Rambo or RPK?

Anil Netto
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Malaysia’s polar opposite non-violent answer to Rambo

Photo by Rakyat@work

The Man With D Video Cam tells us why he thinks we have “the real deal” in our midst: Rambo is a film character, a man with bulging muscles brandishing a serrated knife and creating havoc among his enemies. In the world of make believe, Rambo has drawn quite a following. Men who walk around, exhibiting a bulky load of muscles with women clinging to either arm are the real men in this fanciful, make-believe world. Driving fast cars with branded sunglasses, they saunter around as if the world is their playground. In contrast, what I have is a comfortable car that can still provide me with an uninterrupted journey to my destination and a woman who will stand by me – come what may. This is my world and I love it! But there are still many things missing in my life. I want to live in the real world, which is more interesting and exciting than any imaginary world, which can be so deceiving.

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If a UN Special Rapporteur can be humiliated…

Anil Netto
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If a United Nations Special Rapporteur from the United States can be humiliated this way, what hope do the suffering citizens of Gaza, which now resembles a vast open-air prison camp, have? This report from The Guardian:
My expulsion from Israel When I arrived in Israel as a UN representative I knew there might be problems at the airport. And there were by Richard Falk On December 14, I arrived at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, Israel to carry out my UN role as special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories.
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PJ vigil spot turns into rakyat’s Speakers’ Corner

Anil Netto
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vigilPhoto by Rakyat@work

A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices as Rakyat@work reports from the 11th Abolish ISA vigil in PJ: Yes, last night was special, last night was different. The united rakyat had a chance to experience and sing O Holy Night together as ONE bangsa. Thanks to a handsome young lad (that would be Sivin Kit!) with a guitar who led the crowd into the season of Christmas. You had to be there to feel it. It was something we hardly experienced before. It was special! Everyone participated either by singing, humming along, or just soaking in the wonderful tune of gratitude and hope. Ever faithful city councillor Richard Yeoh started the event on time and recited the usual SOP before getting into the event proper. Last night’s event was dedicated to the Sukhree’s passing, and rightly so because of his dedication and commitment to pursuing what is right as a rakyat of Malaysia. We remember him as one of ours and may his soul rejoice with God. A minute’s silence were observed. A friend of Sukhree’s read a poem in remembrance of him and Raja Petra Kamarudin later provided additional information about Sukhree.
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Give details of PFI for Sime Darby/Air Asia airport

Anil Netto
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First, Sime Bank tak boleh tahan. Then, Sime Darby turns down Bakun undersea cables project – cannot make money-lah. Next, public outcry forces postponement of IJN privatisation. Now, it’s a new low-cost carrier (LCC) airport in Negri Sembilan. The government has given the green light for a RM1.6 billion low-cost carrier airport, about 20km away from the KLIA. It will be built by Sime Darby and Air Asia under a private finance initiative (PFI). The rationale is that the KLIA cannot cope with the expected influx of LCC passengers. (Didn’t Mahathir say, when he tried to justify the KLIA, that it was being built to meet the country’s needs for the next 100 years? What about Subang – is it now fully utilised?) The government must give us details of what kind of PFI is involved. Will any government or public money be indirectly used for this project?
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What Sime Darby was eyeing in IJN

Anil Netto
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The government-owned National Heart Institute (IJN) is in the midst of a RM230 million expansion plan – that would be public money – to buy more equipment and to build a new wing, which would be completed next year. This from The Edge:
The new wing would give it an additional 192 beds, four new operating theatre complexes, new intensive care units and coronary care units, dialysis centre, health screening centres, cafes and shops, according to the website.
Apparently, the plan was for Sime Darby to ride on IJN’s reputation, painstakingly built by the government and the IJN team over the years, and its “captive market” as a base to draw more patients – locally and from the region (medical tourism) – possibly into a private wing. From another Edge report:
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Citizen Journalism 101 training in Penang

Anil Netto
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citizen-journalism-workshopMalaysiakini and Seacem are jointly organising a certified video journalism course in Penang over four weekends. Scholarships worth RM3,000 are being offered to suitable participants. Training objectives: * To empower trainees through experiential training and give them the knowledge, technical skills and networks necessary for them to address issues of importance * To encourage diversity, tolerance, acceptance, unity and democracy Details: * Practical workshops held every fortnight (four weekends) for two months – 10.00am till 6.00pm in the Aliran building. * Workshops will focus on reporting skills and the production of video news content Courses: * Citizen Journalism * Scriptwriting for Documentaries * Video Editing * Video Camera
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Here’s why the Chee Seng residents are worried

Anil Netto
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surin

surin2

Photos sent in by a concerned Tanjung Bunga resident

From these two pictures of the Bolton Surin project in Tanjong Bunga, Penang, you can get an idea why the Chee Seng residents (living on the left in the top photo) are worried and want the project stopped.

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IJN privatisation postponed: Umno elite out of touch

Anil Netto
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The sudden postponement of the scheme to privatise the National Heart Institute (IJN) suggests that the government under-estimated the depth of public opposition to the move. The postponement comes just a day after Najib revealed that the green light had been given to Sime Darby to acquire a majority stake. The Umno elite appear to be out of touch not only with the masses but also with their own BN component parties such as the MCA, which is opposing the privatisation. Or were they just testing the waters (to gauge public reaction), as some of you suggest? To me, the real heroes are the 33 IJN specialists (out of a total of 35) who stood up to oppose the move. Their stand is all the more commendable as chances are they would have stood to gain in terms of a more lucrative pay package. It is great to know there are public-spirited specialists in Malaysia, for whom money is not everything – something which the corporate predators find hard to understand.
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Mysterious masked man who took a stand for justice

Anil Netto
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syukree1

We salute you, Muhamad Syukree Hussain Photo and tribute by Rakyat@work I was shocked, then sadness engulfed me, and now I feel a sense of regret for not taking the time to get to know him better. I quickly sent a text message to all my friends; they were equally shocked as well. Why? You see, when we attended the Abolish ISA vigils from the very beginning, everyone was like part of a new family, the Barisan Rakyat. All of us come in different shapes, colours and sizes.
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Jerit cyclists reach Parliament

Anil Netto
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1212: Some 120 Jerit cyclists are now in Parliament, where they will be having lunch and handing over their memorandums to a rep from the BN and the Opposition. It’s mission accomplished! Congratulations to the Jerit team. 1145: About 30 participants of the Jerit cycling teams are now in Parliament to hand in their memorandum amidst a heavy police presence, including a helicopter clattering overhead. Earlier they were barred from cycling to Parliament. “The OCPD told us we could head to Parliament, but not on our bicycles,” says Jerit coordinator Rani Rasiah.
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Abolish ISA Mass prays for a more just judiciary

Anil Netto
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The series of Abolish ISA Masses at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Penang will be taking a break for Christmas and will resume next year. In the last Abolish ISA Mass for the year, parish priest Fr Marshall Fernandez exhorted the congregation of 80 gathered tonight to pray for a more just judiciary. Referring to the recent controversy between Karpal and Chief Justice Zaki, Marshall said that a cleaner judiciary would provide justice for all. Meanwhile, all the prayers and various campaigns to Abolish the ISA and free the detainees are having an impact.
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An extraordinary cycling odyssey reaches its climax

Anil Netto
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jerit-in-penang-6-dec-2008-001Tomorrow, the Jerit cyclists are due to submit their memorandums to Abdullah Badawi and Anwar in Parliament

It is the climax of an extraordinary campaign that has been wildly successful in publicising the six Jerit demands. Ironically, the oppressive police action only served to heighten publicity for the campaign. If the cyclists had just been allowed to quietly pedal their way to Parliament without any obstruction, perhaps fewer people would have sat up and noticed. Let’s hope there’s no more drama when they hand over their memos in Parliament tomorrow. This is a piece I wrote for IPS looking at the campaign as a whole: POLITICS-MALAYSIA: Protestors Pedal to Parliament, Brave Police By Anil Netto
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Sarawak Deputy CM trumpets RM52m Salcra dividend

Anil Netto
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Here’s something that an analyst sent to me. The Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Salcra) is a government statutory body charged with developing native customary rights (NCR) land in a bid to improve the lot of rural communities in the state. As you can see below, the figures bandied about raise all sorts of questions. Sarawak Deputy CM Alfred Jabu is also Minister for Infrastructure Development and Communication/Minister for Rural Development as well as Salcra chairman.
On 30 Nov, Alfred Jabu made a big deal about the RM52 million to be paid out as dividends for 2008 to the 16,480 participants in Salcra oil palm land development schemes, and he lambasted Dayak NGOs for their criticisms. But a simple division will show that this dividend payout amounts to the grand sum of RM3,155 per participant for the year, or an average of RM263 per month. According to Salcra’s own figures, the total land area under management amounted to 48,700 hectares. Let us assume a low yield of 15 tonnes per hectare, and a mean cost per tonne of RM200. Going by MPOB figures, the mean FFB price/tonne for 2008 is around RM600. Then Salcra should have netted RM292 million for 2008. This translates to an average net earnings of RM17,731 per participant, or around RM1,500 per month. In the announcement, DCM Jabu mentioned that another RM22 million had been set aside for loan re-payment. So, total net balance, after dividends and loan re-payments, should have amounted to RM218 million, or RM13,240 per participant. So, where did that go to? Even if we allow for a withholding of 50 per cent to allow for re-investment and re-planting, that would still amount to RM109 million or RM6,620 per participant to be accounted for. Given these figures, the Dayak NGOs are perfectly entitled to question the benefit of Salcra. Without any explanation for this balance of RM218 million, DCM Jabu has no call to lambast those NGOs. Footnote: If the participants had managed their own average holding (average of 3 hectares each), they would have netted RM17,731 in 2008, on the above assumptions instead of RM3,155 in dividend (per participant).
I have tabulated the above information as follows. :
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Chee Seng residents want Bolton’s Surin project stopped

Anil Netto
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boltonslopeScary hill-slope project in Chee Seng Gardens, Penang

boltonsurinResidents want the project stopped

This is a message from George Aeria of Chee Seng Gardens, which covers the Old Chee Seng Gardens, the newer parts (houses built by Leader Gardens), Straits Regency, Coastal Towers, Twin Towers and Marina Towers.

The residents are upset with the Bolton Surin project undertaken by GLM Property on a steep hill-slope, which has previously resulted in flooding in the area. They are also asking the Penang state government to emulate the stand taken by their counterparts in Selangor with regard to Class III and Class IV hill slopes.

Over 80 residents attended a meeting on 13 December with the main press in attendance. “YB Teh gave a short speech and took several questions and his message that we got is YAB Lim Guan Eng is not going to be on the side of the residents and will be alowing the Class IV hill slope construction to continue,” said Aeria.

“We have told him that if he does not stop the developers, then our vote for change has come to naught, i.e. we wanted the Gerakan and Umno government of Penang out and wanted DAP to start controlling the developers but if he does not, then we will NOT support the DAP government.”

The residents told the state government reps that if they do not stop Class IV hill-slope construction, they would support any other party, including the BN i.e. they would play off one party against the other.

We, the residents of Chee Seng Gardens, who started the fight to get the stop work order in Sept 2008 are now pushing for the project (Bolton Surin) to be stopped altogether as the hill slope is really very steep (above 60 degrees and maybe more). The recent Bukit Antarabangsa tragedy has shown us that no hill can be developed; (neither can) a slope so steep be made to just stay steep without falling down some time in the future.

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The failed US occupation of Iraq

Anil Netto
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The front page of today’s Sun shows George Bush ducking as an Iraqi journalist hurls a shoe at him. That may be surprising if you are following the global television stations, which tell us that the situation in Iraq is improving for the occupying powers as the worst of the carnage since the Anglo-American invasion subsides. Some 1.3 million people have perished in Iraq as a result of the invasion – so you can understand why George Bush is not the Iraqis’ most favourite person. The lower level of carnage now does not translate to victory for the United States as this Counter Punch commentary reveals:
It’s All Spelled Out in Unpublicised Agreement Total Defeat for U.S. in Iraq By PATRICK COCKBURN
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TNB left holding the Bakun undersea cable baby

Anil Netto
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Power demand is dropping as the economic slowdown creeps up on us, but TNB is being forced to pay more in capacity charges to IPPs and take over the laying of the Bakun undersea cables (to transmit even more electricity to the peninsula) after Sime Darby wisely pulled out. By the way, TNB is 38 per cent owned by the Finance Ministry’s Khazanah and 14 per cent owned by EPF.  So guess who is ultimately bearing the risk? Us.
A political economist has sent the following comment to me.
TNB is complaining that Peninsula Malaysia is going to have 45 per cent excess capacity within the next eight months. TNB also says that this excess capacity is due to the Jimah IPP coming online in January 2009. Given the terms of the IPP between Jimah and TNB, TNB expects to see a drop of about RM500 million from their overall profit margin since the IPP contract cannot be re-negotiated. TNB actually also said that they do not need the excess power but have to buy it. See story here. Amazingly, this is going to happen within the context of a decline in power demand in Peninsula Malaysia which is set to drop with the coming downturn..! See this power demand drop story here.
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Vigil outside Rawang police station as cyclists held

Anil Netto
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2050: Police are now recording the details of 45 Jerit northern team cyclists in the Rawang police station (phone 03-6091 6222). Outside the station, a candlelight vigil is now being held At first, the police tried to use Section 32 of the Child Act; they wanted to hold the cyclists until their parents came. Then they tried the usual s112 of the CPC. Now, they are just documenting the particulars of the cyclists – name, IC number, address. “They seem disappointed that all the cyclists below 18 have consent letters from their parents,” says one of the Jerit coordinators inside the station.
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Three dozen Jerit cyclists detained

Anil Netto
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1453: The Jerit southern cycling team have been hauled up near Bangi Lama. Thirty six of the cyclists will now proceed to the Kajang police station (phone: 03-8736 2222 for more details).
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